About the Conference

Rector's welcome
Background and aim of the Conference
Themes
Languages
Conference location
Scientific committee
Organizing committee

Rector's welcome

Welcome to discuss the most challenging issues for bi- and multilingual universities.

I am delighted to invite you to the University of Helsinki and our Conference entitled Bi-and multilingual universities - challenges and future prospects. The University of Helsinki is a bilingual University and our long and extensive experience in bilingual education and multilingualism makes us the perfect venue for a dialogue on multilingual issues.

The main objective of our Conference is to discuss and highlight research and to exchange experiences on bi- and multilingual higher education, in particular on factors that promote and inhibit it. Furthermore, the aim is to discuss the strategic and pragmatic development of such multilingualism at the university level.

In addition, we also wish to present the Finnish language policy in theory and practice. The language laws of Finland are regarded as some of the most advanced in the world, not only in relation to the country's autochthonous linguistic minority, Finland Swedes but also to the three indigenous peoples' languages: Inari, Skolt and North Saami.

The programme of the Conference will be of interest to a wide audience of university leaders, university teachers and researchers in the field of multilingual education, languages and minority issues, as well as to university administrative personnel in charge of international and academic affairs in both multi- and monolingual universities.

Our list of speakers includes some of the world's most prominent scholars in the field of multilingual education and multilingualism.

Let me invite you to our University and the beautiful city of Helsinki. We believe that this Conference will be a watershed in the ongoing development of multilingual higher education. I can promise you an interesting and stimulating Conference and an exciting time in Finland.

Yours faithfully,

Ilkka Niiniluoto

Background and aim of the Conference

Bi- and multilingual universities are confronted with major internal and external challenges. As the role and importance of the nation state seems to decline, bilingualism and multilingualism will rapidly advance at the individual, university and state level. There are already more than 30 times more spoken languages in the world than there are states to house them and about two-thirds of the world's population is bilingual.

The rapid spread of English as a lingua franca will have a major impact on university education. In addition, the Bologna process, new international language policies and the increasing awareness of minorities of their language rights, will also most certainly affect the whole issue of multilingual higher education. Likewise, the use of new technologies and language-learning methods will likely affect and transform multilingual instruction. Given this, language study and multilingual education are likely to play a more significant role at universities in the future.

The major objective of this Conference is thus to share insight on research and experience, and identify factors which promote or hinder the availability of multilingual higher education.

Core issues of the Conference:

Future scenarios for multilingual higher education
English - threat or opportunity?
How does the EU foresee the future for multilinguism in Europe
The role of Language Centers and new technologies in supporting multilingual instruction
Creating and implementing multilingual policies
Designing and assuring good practice of multilingual higher education
The impact of globalisation on multilingual higher education

Themes

The conference will address three broad topics:

Topic 1. Multilingual higher education
Multilingual higher education has many challenges but also many prospects ahead. The workshops and plenary sessions related to theme 1 will reflect on the major threats and opportunities for higher education and address burning issues like: the impact of the Bologna process on multilingual higher education with a particular focus on the role of languages and multilingual studies in this process. The way Language centers, new technologies and language learning methods function in supporting multilingual instruction will also be examined.

Topic 2. The cultural, political and historical context
Understanding the challenges of and threats to multilingual education requires knowledge about the larger, cultural and political context in which it exists. The workshops and plenary sessions related to theme 2 will thus try to analyse the broader trends to determine how they may affect multilingualism at the university level and how multilingual higher education in turn may affect them. For instance, to what extent will the rapid spread of English as a lingua franca affect multilingual education? What is the impact of globalisation, nationalism and the flow of immigrants and refugees on multilingual studies? Finally, does the EU have a long-term policy to promote multilingualism in Europe?

Topic 3. Multilingualism at the universities in practice
How can the University play a role in helping students from all language groups to become bilingual? What kind of administration supports multilingualism in the best way at the universities? The workshops and plenary sessions related to theme 3 will reflect on the strategic and practical issues related to bi- and multilingual universities and also discuss their backgrounds and future challenges. Participants in these sessions will also assess how bi- and multilingualism can be used as a marketing asset in order to promote universities. The aim of these workshops is largely to provide a venue for the exchange of experiences and practical examples among the participating universities. It is hoped that participants will leave with some fresh ideas about developing multilingualism at their universities.

Based on these broad topics there will be six main parallel themes:

Session 1 Language Educational Aspects
Session 2 Quality Assurance of International & Intercultural Issues
Session 3 Starting and Maintaining Good Practice in Bi- and Multilingual Programmes
Session 4 Language policies and minorities
Session 5 Multilinguism in Practice - Challenges (cases)
Session 6 English for Reaching out

Languages

The official languages of the Conference are English, French and German, and interpretation into these languages will be provided at the plenary sessions.

Conference location

On Thursday 1 September 2005 the conference will be held at: the main University building, Unioninkatu 34 / Aleksanterinkatu 5

On Friday 2 September and Saturday 3 September the conference venue will be at the University building called Metsätalo. The address is Unioninkatu 40.

Both buildings are located in the heart of Helsinki close to the main square called Senaatintori.

In order to find these buildings on the map please have a look at: http://kartta.hel.fi/opas/en/

Scientific committee

Professor Vice-Rector Thomas Wilhelmsson
Professor, Director for the Language Center Pirkko Forsman-Svensson
Professor Jan-Ola Östman
Professor Jyrki Kalliokoski
Professor Tom Pettersson
Raija Hämelin, Lecturer

Organizing committee

Professor, Vice-Rector Thomas Wilhelmsson
Planning officer Caesar Paterlini
Planing officer Ninni Ojanen
Planning officer Riina Johansson